


Let My Darlin’ Take Me There

by goddamnitkastlewrites



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22349146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddamnitkastlewrites/pseuds/goddamnitkastlewrites
Summary: First posted to goddamnitkastle.tumblr.com on January 21, 2020.The original summary is below:"Here! Have this fic inspired by/slightly ripped off by my latest TV obsession Virgin River.If you’ve seen the show this is basically the good night scene between Mel and Jack after their first “date” in episode 9 but instead it’s Frank and Karen and I gave it the Kastle twist. Sorry not sorry.Please check out the show, it is genuinely good and the soft™ content is off the charts.I’m also particularly proud of this fic cause it is written from Karen’s POV! I’ve ignored her for too long and I will definitely try to do better in the future.Also shoutout to @carry-the-sky for beta reading the first draft and assuring me that this fic was going in a good direction. Thank you so much! Okay enough rambling…Enjoy!"
Relationships: Frank Castle/Karen Page
Kudos: 21





	Let My Darlin’ Take Me There

The jitters have stayed with Karen all night. In some moments they would rattle her that she was worried it would bring her to her knees but in other moments it made her feel downright giddy. Like how she would feel after too much wine without crossing the line into sloppy drunkenness territory.  
  
They’re almost to the front door of her apartment building. She tries to will it as far away as possible.  
  
_“Thought we would uh, head somewhere away from the Kitchen. Away from... prying eyes.” Frank says as he helps her get her coat on.  
  
Karen wondered if Frank had arranged a plane to the the other side of the country for their first date. She wouldn’t put it past him, he could do it. But they ended up in Astoria, which was just a lovely. The restaurant, the banter, it was a first date for the history books.  
_  
“I had a really nice time tonight. Thank you.”

Karen slows her walk down to a snail’s pace.

“You’re welcome.”

Frank falls into stride with her.

“How did you find that place?”  
  
“Micro recommended it. He’d taken Sarah there before for, uh... it also had good Yelp reviews...”  
  
“Well I never had rigatoni like that.” Karen reaches for his hand and he takes it.   
  
“Yeah? It was good, wasn’t it? Almost wanted a second plate...” Frank admits while running his thumb over her knuckles.  
  
They laugh as they walk up the steps, still holding hands. They stop right at the front door and face each other.  
  
“Well... good night, Frank.”  
  
“Good night, Karen.”  
  
Neither one of them moves and for a second Karen thinks he’s going to be the one to let go and leave. However he leans in and she is expecting a chaste cheek kiss, like the one at the waterfront but without all the worry in it. But instead goes to her lips. Karen is caught off guard but she reciprocates in kind. He’s very stiff though, he’s really just pressing his mouth against hers and she can feel that he is doing this more out of politeness rather than...  
  
She pulls away and Frank immediately straightens back up, letting go of her hand and into an at attention stance.  
  
“Everything okay?” He asks with far too much worry in his voice.  
  
“Yeah... I just... need to take things slowly.”  
  
“That’s okay.” He assures her. It’s all over his face though, he’s starting to think that maybe kissing her was not the best idea.  
  
But it was. The awkwardness is now past and they can try again. And so she does. She leans in and gives him a small kiss. He doesn’t pull back but he also doesn’t react right away. Karen takes a breath and tries again and he responds.  
  
_There we go..._ Karen thinks.  
  
It starts to grow in intensity as she places her hand on his chest. He cups her face as he angles his mouth to go deeper. The sweetness of it all floods her mind and it would be so easy to let this happen. Let it go as far as they want to tonight. They’re so close, so so close...  
  
It takes a split second though for Karen to remember where they both have been. How they still have some ways to go before they can cross that line. He has lost so much and so has she and the delicacy that’s between them could evaporate at the wrong gesture or word.  
  
She pulls away and leans into him. Frank breathes out and she can feel him trying to to hide his frustration. In a gentlemanly way of course. His hands drop from her face to her shoulders as he lets out a sigh that makes her chuckle.  
  
“Now you’re trying to kill me.” He teases.  
  
“Oh, you’re gonna be just fine.” She retorts back. They both laugh and she’s relieved that he’s not hurt or angry. Not that he is that kind of man, not at all.

_“No pressure.” Frank reminds Karen as they drive away from her apartment. He’s so at ease and Karen wonders if he’s actually freaking out at all or if he is just hiding it better than she is right now._

_“Right”. Karen responds, thankful that her voice is remaining steady despite feeling anything but that right now._

_“Just like I promised.”_

_“Okay.”_

_“Just dinner.”_

_“Right.”_

_“Jeez Karen I really hope you got some multisyllabic words for tonight. You’re starting to sound like me…”_

_Karen gasps but starts laughing hysterically._

_“Wow. This coming from a man who uses grunts and hmph’s eighty percent of the time to communicate, that is just…”_

_He’s laughing now and suddenly the situation they are in makes perfect sense right now._

_“And you picked me up in your van…”_

_“Oh no, don’t start with…”_  
  
“Good night.” Frank says as he scratches the back of his head clearly in a slightly embarrassed state.  
  
“Good night.” Karen turns to the door and opens her clutch to get her keys out.  
  
“Will I see you tomorrow?”  
  
“You’re not busy?”  
  
“No... actually.” He answers in earnest.  
  
“Oh, okay. Um... I make great pancakes.”

Frank gives her a look and Karen is so tempted to pull him upstairs, to throw away her promise to take things slow, make him work for those pancakes...  
  
“You cook?” He asks in a disbelieving tone.  
  
Karen is about to tell him off but he gives her a half smile and she lets out a laugh instead.  
  
“I do, actually. And pancakes are my specialty. Even Foggy has commented on their deliciousness.” Karen proclaims even though she knows she doesn't have to.  
  
“I bet they are.”  
  
“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning then.”  
  
She unlocks the door and turns back to look at Frank. He’s leaning against the pillar and Karen swears he looks awestruck.  
  
She decides to leave him like that. Take that image of him to bed. And in the morning, they can resume their fresh start over her pancakes.


End file.
